A rose is no longer a rose…
When taken from its mother plant
And placed in a vase.
We watch it die so slowly
As each petal falls from its base…
To allow something so sweet
To die in its natural state is unbearable indeed.
Ah… how we seek to possess its beauty constantly
To pluck a life that is not ours to take.
What a noble deed it all seems!
A crystal is but a crystal
Permanent in its form and properties
So precious in its natural value…
Yet it is no longer alive…
No more growing required to feed its soul!
In admiration of this ice-cold beauty
One would place it in a glass display.
And there it shall remain till the end of time
No more… no less… for the crystal cannot change
Frozen in its stagnant and unchanging state!
The path to new life is allowing the rose to live
Growing in the moist soil enriched by its predecessors
To brave the wind, sun and rain
To savour the spice of life
To live out its fullest potential
To re-live again and again.
The path to eternal death is simple but true
Be crystallised and that’s all it takes
Being fearful of life’s changes
Being caught in the past memories
Being self-condemned even before judgement is passed
To die over and over again.
(18.9.2000)
When taken from its mother plant
And placed in a vase.
We watch it die so slowly
As each petal falls from its base…
To allow something so sweet
To die in its natural state is unbearable indeed.
Ah… how we seek to possess its beauty constantly
To pluck a life that is not ours to take.
What a noble deed it all seems!
A crystal is but a crystal
Permanent in its form and properties
So precious in its natural value…
Yet it is no longer alive…
No more growing required to feed its soul!
In admiration of this ice-cold beauty
One would place it in a glass display.
And there it shall remain till the end of time
No more… no less… for the crystal cannot change
Frozen in its stagnant and unchanging state!
The path to new life is allowing the rose to live
Growing in the moist soil enriched by its predecessors
To brave the wind, sun and rain
To savour the spice of life
To live out its fullest potential
To re-live again and again.
The path to eternal death is simple but true
Be crystallised and that’s all it takes
Being fearful of life’s changes
Being caught in the past memories
Being self-condemned even before judgement is passed
To die over and over again.
(18.9.2000)
What is the difference between a rose and a crystal?
The answer is in their existence.
~ Anonymous ~
This poem was inspired by a question that was found in a booklet during a spiritual retreat in 1989. It was probably forgotten by most people who came across it. Yet, the beauty of the answer that came with the question became a philosophy of life! In truth, the answer often lies in the simplest things.
No comments:
Post a Comment